"And there was with it--a paper, I think ?" "No." "A scrap of parchment then?
Some words, some figures ?" His voice rose as he read a negative in her face.

"There was something, surely ?" "There was nothing," she said.

"Had there been a scrap even of writing----" "Yes, yes ?" He could not control his impatience.
"I should have sent it to you.

I should have thought," she continued earnestly, "that it was that you needed, Messer Syndic; that it was that the State needed.

But there was nothing." "Well, be there papers with it or be there not, I must have that phial!" Anne stared.